Preparing for a Five year Old

Preparing for a Five year Old

by | Dec 21, 2022 | Homeschool, Parenting, Toddler Environment

Mr Man is getting older and taller and recently I realized that he has outgrown the little kids table and chair set we have been using the last four years. His materials are also growing in complexity and need a larger space to be spread out and used effectively out of the reach of Little Miss’s curious reach. We decided to set up my old desk on the one side of the playroom to create a space just for Mr Man. The children who visit my home for preschool each morning, and Little Miss have all been told it is a space for children five and up. They have acceped this explanation and not one of the children have explored or disrupted the space.

We also set a narrow shelf up beside the desk with the more complicated materials. The division and multiplication boards, the moveable alphabet, and the stamp game all permantly reside here. I will be adding more shelves and materials as we work through them and he moves more into abstraction. Mr Man loves that he has a safe space to store his paper work, his scissors and cutting materials, and his books. While the younger children play I can sit with him at the table and show him a material. Then I can move through the room as usual from child to child while he works undisturbed. So far it is working out beautifully!

To be completly honest I am not happy with the change. Sure it is functional, but it does not appeal to me aesthically. I am not a fan of the metal chair. The room no longer looks like a sweet little preschool space. It feels more crowded. However I am choosing to ignore the side of me that wants a pinterest playroom in order to indulge the educator in me who sees the necessity for this change. Aethetics are important in a child’s space but, sometimes in browsing my Montessori and Homeschooling Facebook groups I notice that aesthetics are being valued over the practicality. No matter how beautiful a play space is, if it does not serve the children who use it then it is pointless. So for now I will keep this space functional and maybe over time I will find a way to make the chair more appealing and find some organizational method to clear the surfaces and make it all appear cleaner.

K.I.S.S.

K.I.S.S.

by | Sep 12, 2022 | Homeschool, Parenting, Sensory DIYs, Toddler Activities

I think by now my love for felt has become pretty evident. I use it often in my materials and I find it incredibly versatile. The fact that I can often find it at my local dollar stores makes it even more appealing to me. Besides the low price tag and versatility it is also extremely easy to store! The felt mat I have pictured in this post was an activity that I made to accompany our land, air and water impressionistic lesson. After my children and I had sat down and discussed what was land, what was water, and what was air I realized that they were still very interested in exploring the concepts but the impressionistic lesson did not leave much for them to work on independently. So I spent twenty minutes with my sewing machine creating a simple mat that depicts some land, some water and a little dash of the sky. I did not include any trees or bushes purposely to extend the usefulness of the material, I had in mind already an extension I could use it for when we started exploring animal habitats. The mat has since been used with our original jars that show land, air and water. It has been used with small animal figurines, and vehicle figurines. It has been used with our colour tablets for identifying and matching colours. It has joined our blocks as a simple invitation to play. It has been hung behind a simple dinosaur invitation to play as a back drop. This quick little DIY is a reminder that sometimes simple is the most beneficial. If I had added much more complexity to the mat then I would have lost so much versatility. The reason it is so useful is because it is so plain.
Whenever I am planning on purchasing or creating a material I try to keep in mind the saying my Dad used to tell me on occassion, the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid). Its a funny little saying but it honestly holds a lot of truth in four words. Keeping it simple, keeps it open. I actually forgot this principle when I made my second felt mat for my children after this one was such a hit. I made an underwater scene complete with coral and vibrant colours. I noticed my children were not using it much at all and then I realized something. It was way too specific. It did not work as anything more than a play mat for toy animals because it was so zoomed in to a specific scene. That coupled with the fact that the sea creature figures we have would not live in such a habitat made the mat basically useless. I forgot to keep it simple and the result was a waste of my time, and my felt. For now that felt scene is kept on my desk while I try to brainstorm a way to use it. I may end up adding some more details and adding it to my continent boxes, further minimizing its utility but at least giving it a function.
I think sometimes when looking at homeschooling, Montessor at home, or parenting in general we have a tendency to overcomplicate things. I often see posts on my facebook groups asking how to extend a child’s interest in door knobs, or replicate an opening and closing activity because the child loves to open and close cupboards. As much as I love to create DIYs and extend activities I think this is another area to consider how you can KISS. If a child is fascinated by door knobs then you do not have to do a thing. Sit back and watch them examine the doorknobs that are conviently installed all around your house. Maybe point out some other kinds of door knobs while on an outting. You do not need to replicate it in the form of an activity especially since this would not be an activity that would last very long at all. If a child has a skill or an interest and they have found a safe way to satisfy the desire to explore it on their own, then in most cases it is more valuable to let them do that, than it is to create your own way to do the same thing. Unless there is a safety concern, let the child explore what they have found works to satisfy that curiousity!
An Invitation to Play

An Invitation to Play

by | Aug 17, 2022 | Homeschool, Parenting, Parenting Hacks, Parenting preschoolers, Parenting Toddlers, Toddler, Toddler Activities, Toddler Environment

As a home childcare provider I find parents are often curious how I manage to get so much done in my home. I provide childcare, homeschool, write and have a large collection of plants and animals that I care for in my home. I am the one who primarily does the cooking and house work as well since I am the parent who has more time to do so, my husband works many more hours than I do. I was thinking about it this morning when a client was shocked that all three fish tanks in the house were mine. She asked how I manage everything. I think one of the most useful tools in my parenting (and childcare) arsenal has been the invitation to play. This is the tool that lets me get so much done each day. Many evenings before I settle down for the night I set out a few invitations to play. Something in my living room that will greet the children as they arrive (either my own two from upstairs or my clients on daycare days), something in my dining room to attract them while I prepare breakfast, and something in the playroom to draw the children in while I tidy and move us through that transition.
The strategic use of invitations to play has saved me so much time, energy and conflict. So what is it? It is exactly what it sounds like. Some call it strewing, literally strewing toys around to entice children, some call it a provocation to play (technically a little different but I use both) and as this post suggests some call it the invitation.

Take a few minutes to set out a few toys, art supplies, or even random household objects out in a play area (or another surprising area) to draw your child’s curiousity and provoke them to play. This morning I set a few blocks out in a row, put a few cars on top and then rested a baby doll at the end of my makeshift track. It took me two minutes to prepare, and bought me thirty minutes of play and giggles from my daughter and two daycare clients. By the time they finished playing and decided they were ready for breakfast, I was ready for them with a prepared meal. After breakfast they were ready to hop right into the bingo dabber and sticker art invitations that I had set out on trays on the floor around my dining room. While they explored the art materials I made myself a coffee and tidied up breakfast. Then we moved down to the playroom. Last night I had spent 5 minutes taping a picture of a washing machine to a tiny cupboard, filled a basket with doll clothes and hung a makeshift clothesline. The kids were thrilled when they discovered this invitation and played indepently while I drank my coffee and observed. This is just an example of a morning where I used a few different invitations to make my day run more smoothly. They can be used anywhere however. I have placed small dinosaur toys and pebbles out on our driveway near where we park. Conviently out of the way of where I need to carry groceries up to the house. My children are equally likely to either help me with the groceries or get drawn into that play area, but either way I have an easy and unhindered trip to bring the groceries in the house.

Similarly I have left a couple shovels in the front garden, just sticking out of the soil along with a pile of bush clippings. I have set paint and twigs out on my picnic table when I noticed some children are ready to head inside before others. Small starts to activities. Simple ideas or prompts that the children can develop. That is all it takes, a few minutes of planning and some strategic timing and placement. Let me know below if you are interested in hearing about some ideas for invitations or provocations to play.
Updating the Montessori Toddlers Bedroom

Updating the Montessori Toddlers Bedroom

by | Jun 14, 2022 | Parenting, Parenting Toddlers, Toddler Environment

A common discussion in many online Montessori communities surrounds how to prepare a toddlers bedroom in a Montessori manner. The comments are flooded withy pictures of Instagram perfect floor beds shaped like little houses and majority of the time the floor bed becomes the focal point of the conversation. It is true that in the Montessori home there will most likely be a floor bed in the toddlers bedroom, however it would have likely been there long before toddler hood. Something that seems to be forgotten about is the reason for the floor bed. The reason we should be setting up any piece of furniture in a young child’s bedroom. For the child to be able to independently access and use their furniture as they need to. I have seen comments asking if it was too late to move a five year old to a floor bed, or lamenting how their two year old screams to go back in the crib and I think in both cases the main point is being missed. You are doing this for the benefit of the child. A five year old will not benefit from moving their twin bed down to the floor, they can already access their bed just fine. A two year old who has been in a crib all his life, and who is a very strong period for order will be very shaken up if his sleeping arrangements are suddenly changed without his knowledge, understanding, or consent. I love the use of a floor bed, used them with both my children but it is really not about the bed, it is about making the bed accessible and useable. It is mostly for infants and young toddlers. I actually moved my son into a regular twin bed at twenty one months because he was already familiar with the boundaries of a bed and was a really tall guy. He was much more comfortable on a regular height bed, and he could access it just fine. It did not make his room any less Montessori based. 

Ideally a child would start on a Montessori floor bed before they are mobile. Like this they become comfortable and learn to sleep on the bed before they learn to exercise the freedom that the bed affords them. It also means that the room is not changed up just when a child is becoming very sensitive to order and changes. Young toddlers do not usually like things to be changed on them, they also need to test boundaries and explore. This is not a great age to experiment with floor beds without understanding that it will come with some sleepless nights and frustration! If you do decide to change up a child’s room at this age, include them. Tell them what and why you are are changing things around. Have them help set it up, help clean it up. Surprising them often will be more negative than anything. If they are accustomed to cribs do not disassemble it until you know they are comfortable! We recently made a few small changes to Little Miss’s room as she is getting older (she just turned two!) We involved her in the changes, both my children helped set up her wardrobe, install her new lamp, and remove some of the toys she had outgrown. At the end of our efforts both children were proud and excited to use the space. I packed away the old toys in her closet just in case she suddenly felt the need to have them back and they will remain there a couple of months until I am sure she can part with them. 

My main point in the post is just to remember the why. Why are you doing this? How can you make sure this goes as smoothly as possible? How can your child be involved in decisions and changes regarding their life? 

All Weather Play

All Weather Play

by | Jun 6, 2022 | Parenting, Parenting Hacks, Preschool, Sensorial, Toddler

“There is no such thing as bad weather”. This is a statement I find all over different parenting and education sites and blogs. We know for a fact that the more time outdoors children have, the better. Outdoor spaces help children learn to balance and coordinate their movements, uneven ground and slopes are amazing teachers for learning how your body moves in space and for spatial awareness in general. Time outside is rich in sensorial experiences, there is so much to see, hear, smell, touch and regardless of the adults efforts to hinder it, taste. Fresh air and vitamin D from the sun on our skin is a mood booster, a sleep aid, and a rejuvenator. We think better and therefore learn better when we have an adequate amount of time to move our bodies, and be outdoors. These are all objectively positive things, but something that I find is not mentioned enough is that while it is true there is no such thing as bad weather (although perhaps there is potentially dangerous weather), there is a considerable amount of work that is involved in all weather outdoor play. 

Getting tiny humans bundled up to go outside in the freezing cold winter, only to have them beg to come in ten minutes later can make it feel pointless. Wrapping them up in rain suits and rubber boots only to realize that each rainy day play potentially means a load of muddy and grassy laundry feels overwhelming. Spraying or rubbing in layer after layer of sunscreen knowing that every loose blade of grass and that the beloved sand in the sandbox is about to coat your children and require immediate bathing and floor cleaning can feel repulsive.

I provide home childcare a few days a week and on those days I know that the above applies not only to my own children but also to three or four additional tiny humans! There is significant work involved, and in some cases an actual workout (you work up a real sweat getting five to six toddlers bundled in snow gear!)

But here is the most important point in this whole post. It is worth it, and it is necessary! There are also so many learning experiences that can be involved even in just the dressing part, let alone the outdoor learning. In the winter there are plenty of opportunities to practice self dressing. We often spend longer getting dressed in the winter, than we do playing outside! This is the time to practice zippers, identifying which boot belongs to which foot, and learning to do the coat flip trick. Every time you go outside the children get to practice these skills, and generally they don’t enjoy the long dress up sessions either and are motivated to learn to do it independently! 

After playing in some mud and puddles on a rainy day there is an opportunity for children to notice the mess in brings, to involve them in the laundry, the sweeping and the mopping. Toddlers and preschoolers generally love these activities, they learn a lot and it makes the entire experience an educational play time! Not just the part that we consider play time, but the part we consider work as well. Besides the rainy days are the best days to go observing worms and snails, and the birds that follow. 

Those hot summer days can be made much easier by ending each play session with a sprinkler game, kiddie pool or hosing down. They may need a bath afterwards but there are ways to bundle bath time with either chores or play. Maybe they sit in the bath and have a popsicle while you relax and read. This is amazing for their nervous systems, is mess free, and gives you some downtime. Maybe before bringing them in squirt some dish soap all over the tub and shower walls and then throw the kids in with some scrub brushes. They will have a blast scrubbing the soap and making crazy, soapy foam and when they are done both the shower and the children are clean! It is safe, the kids enjoy it, and it knocks an annoying chore off the to do list. When my kids do this I just spray it down after they get out with a leave on shower cleanser and everything (and everyone) is left shiny clean and smelling great. I also find that summer picnics help cut down on the cleanup, if you know it will just be a brief lunch break before heading back outside why not eat outside and save the mess that will be tracked in? I like to set up a water dispenser for hand washing outside or we use the hose so that besides bathroom breaks we can spend the whole day outside.

Two more things I have been trying to work on as I attempt to add more and more all weather play to our days is better equipping myself, and letting go of the house mess. I realized that one of the big reasons I avoided winter play was because my kids were bundled up well, but I was always cold as I did not own snowpants. In rainy weather I felt like a soggy mess without effective rain boots. In the summer I was forgetting to reapply sunscreen and was a sore mess after a day of play. I have been working on better preparing myself for all weather play and seeing it as part of the Montessori adults work- to prepare the adult. Likewise I have been working on preparing the environment. I made some changes to where we dress and undress for outdoor play. Made it part of my daily routine whether or not we go out to vacuum and mop our entry ways and main floor. This change has allowed me to completely let go of the mess because I know that no matter what that space will be cleaned at the end of the day as it is everyday. This change has actually allowed for us to do a lot more messy play and art as well as the space we come in and out of is our dining room, which is also where our art shelf is set up. The dining room has become the “mess zone” where we make the most mess every day, but because it would need cleaning either way after meals it is not feeling like any extra work for me to maintain the space! 

Prepare yourself, prepare your home, and take the kids outside no matter the weather. It is worth it for everyone involved!

Planting Season

Planting Season

by | May 9, 2022 | Homeschool, Parenting, Science, Science Activities, Toddler Activities

With the arrival of spring my kids have become fascinated with plants. I have been subtly scaffolding this interest with books about local plants, three part cards of different types of flowers, and gardening based sensory bins. Less subtly I have been inviting them into all of my plant care in and around my home. Recently it was time to feed my plants and as it often goes when I want to do a chore Mr Man asked if he could help. I explained what my plan was, and Mr Man began inserting the plant food in the nearby plants. As soon as Little Miss noticed she wanted to help as well. We have many houseplants and the children spent a good half an hour caring for our plants. While we worked we chatted about what the plants needed to be healthy inside our home. We also watered and dusted off the plants leaves as we worked through them. Since that day I have noticed both my children checking if the plants soil was drying out, as we talked about how they would need to be watered more often now that it is spring again, so I moved their watering can to a more obvious space for them to access. Mr Man observed that one of our plants was getting pretty big and asked if I would be trimming it down because he remembered helping me trim the bushes outside. We talked a little about propagation and put our clippings in our aquariums where we could watch their roots develop. They really wanted to start our garden but it was a little too early in the season so we started some seeds indoors. These are the children’s plants, they are fully responsible for their care and these seedlings are flourishing! We always like to experiment so we decided to plant some very old seeds, some new seeds, and some fresh seeds right out of a bell pepper. Mr Man has been recording his findings on various charts and drawings as he watches them grow. We are waiting and observing our outdoor garden every morning hoping for signs of flower growth. Little Miss did not understand what we were talking about before we had planted the seeds, but now that she has watched the vegetable seeds sprout she is aware of what we are looking for. When we go for walks she looks for plants that are sprouting and claps. The children have prepared their gardening tools, gloves, watering cans and are anxiously awaiting the opportunity to do some outdoor gardening. Mr Man has already noticed and pulled a few weeds he found in our bushes and has suggested he could take care of all the weeds this year. There are so many ways I hope to extend this area of interest and learning as spring turns to summer but for now I just wanted to share how we are spending our time as we prepare for the warm weather.